Classical painting sells for $49 million

A 13th-century classical Chinese scroll painting fetched $49 million from an anonymous bidder at a New York auction on Wednesday.

The ink brush painting titled Six Dragons once belonged to Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was transported to Japan in the early 20th century and then became part of the collection of the Osaka-based Fujita Museum.

The museum auctioned off 31 Chinese works of art in its collection, including the painting, at Christie's in New York. The sale raised funds for a refurbishment project at the museum.